Take a look inside
► Representation @ Beds SU
The Students' Union seeks to be a democratic, member led organisation and thus we have many different ways of ensuring our members, (students) have the opportunity to get their voices heard:
We have elected officers called Sabbatical Officers, they work full time for the Union for up to a maximum of two years, (if elected by you) and get paid to deal with specific aspects of the Students’ Union. The positions we have are President, VP Education, VP Union and Community Development and VP Democracy and Diversity. They are also here to give strategic direction and operational management to the Students’ Union and help the Student Officers.
The Student Officers are students who have an interest in a specific area of the Union and may want to build up their CV for example. They work part time alongside their studies in a voluntary capacity. Most officers work as a team, meaning that they can plan their time and the tasks that they take on. Any student can become an elected officer as long as they fulfil the election criteria laid out in the constitution and bye-laws and are elected by the student body. For more information look at the student officer section of the website.
Elections:
The main elections are held in February/March and By-elections in October/November. They give the opportunity for every student to vote for the officers who will represent the student body for a year. All elected students are there to represent you, the student, and your needs and views, so it’s important you take the time to vote for the person/people you think will do the best job.
NUS Delegates:
If you want to have an input in national Student Union politics then you could run for one of the 4 position we have for National Union of Students (NUS) National Conference held in April. This allows Bedfordshire to have a say in what the focus should be for the NUS, which BEds SU is a part of.
The Students’ Union has representatives of its membership on it’s decision making board, these positions are elected Student Trustee positions, of which there are 4 positions at any one time. Being a Student Trustee allows you to have a say in the strategic direction of the Union.
These are volunteer students who become the voice of students on their course. They will talk to fellow students and make their views known in departmental meetings to ensure that the course is as good as it can be.
These are volunteer students who sit on the faculty academic boards (FABS) and help shape the policy and procedures of the faculties, to ensure that courses within the faculties are as good as they can be.
The Student Councils are there to ensure every student can get their say about the running of Beds SU and all aspects of their student experience. The Councils are held at different points through the term. Check the Student Council page for the dates for 2011/12.
The ultimate decision making board for students to be involved in. The AGM or Annual General Meeting is held in November every year and is the opportunity for students to suggest and pass policy to make changes to the Students Union Constitution and Bye-laws and also approve the financial statements of Beds SU. If you want to make changes on anything then write a motion and let your fellow students debate it at the AGM. For more info look at the AGM pages.
Sabbatical Officers:
Student Officers:
Trustee Board:
Course reps:
Faculty reps:
The Student Council:
AGM:
